The matric Class of 2021 will be writing their first theoretical examinations today. They are scheduled to write their English paper 1 exam.
The English exam will be written in the morning session. It will be English Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language.
Paper 1 of the English exam often is based on Language in Context. This includes comprehensions, summaries and language structures and conventions.
The exam is set to be written in 2 hours.
Meanwhile, at 2pm Grade 12s who take up Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telegu, Urdu, Hebrew and German will also be writing paper 1 on those subjects. This includes those doing the subjects as Home Language, First Additional Language and Second Additional Language.
The papers are also to be completed within 2 hours.
The matric exams which have now started are expected to conclude on December 7 with the results being announced by Minister Angie Motshekga on January 20, 2022. The following day NSC candidates will get their individual results at the schools.
This is the third NSC examinations to be written under strict Covid-19 guidelines.
The Department of Basic Education has assured the public that it was ready for the exams and despite the pandemic disruptions the learners were fit and ready to write the examinations.
A record of 735 000 full-time learners are expected t write in this year’s matric exams.
Motshekga said: “This year, there are seven hundred and thirty-five thousand, 735 677 full-time candidates. This is an increase by 128 451. That means that the system needs to ensure that all health and safety protocols are adhered to. We have consulted with provinces to check on their state of readiness; and provinces have confirmed that it is all system go.”
This group of grade 12s is also the same group of grade 11s who were deeply impacted by the pandemic which brought on school closures.
They were limited in academic learning time last year, however, the Department of Basic Education again assured the public that the time lost was made up for. Learners had winter school programmes, Saturday classes and some schools even had this group of matric extending their schools day by 2 hours a day.
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) sent out its well wishes to the Class of 2021.
“We commend the 2021 class for doing their best to prepare for these exams by attending extra classes to compensate for the time lost due to disturbances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Many had to work harder to cover the Grade 11 work which they could not complete in 2020,” the union said.
IOL